Henry Cavill Teases Fans & Studios About Concerns Over His Mustache

Justice League and Mission: Impossible 6 star Henry Cavill has posted a playful message on Facebook, teasing all those who have made a big deal about recent reports saying the mustache he sports in M:I6 is causing problems for Warner Bros., as they embark upon expensive reshoots for Justice League.

Mission: Impossible 6 set photos showing Cavill sporting his new mustache first surfaced on the internet back in June. Earlier this week it was reported that Justice League, which features Cavill returning as Superman, is headed into expensive reshoots that will require stache-wearing Cavill to show up even though he is still in the middle of work on the Mission: Impossible sequel. Since Cavill needs his mustache for M:I6, the actor will have to perform in Justice League with a very-un-Superman-like stache that will need to be digitally removed later. These reports led to a round of internet jokes, as well as a “very serious” explanation from M:I6 director Christopher McQuarrie about why Cavill can’t shave just yet.

With stories about his mustache spreading over the internet like wildfire, Cavill has decided to use humor to calm things down, posting an image on Facebook that he jokingly claims shows a weapon being developed by Warner Bros. and Paramount to combat his highly problematic facial hair:

According to McQuarrie, Cavill’s mustache must stay on throughout shooting of M:I6 because of the difficult stunt work coming up that would simply be too much for a taped-on mustache to withstand. At the end of the day, it’s much cheaper and easier for Warner Bros. to remove Cavill’s mustache than it would be for Paramount to digitally add a mustache to the actor in action scenes that no doubt will feature him and the camera moving around a lot.

Another option for Warner Bros. would have been to break with long-standing tradition and allow Superman to appear with a mustache for the first time in movie history. Though the sight of Superman with a mustache might have been a little too much for purists, it definitely would have been a gutsy and interesting move for Warner Bros. as they continue to look for ways to freshen up the DCEU and revitalize the character of Superman. Beyond Cavill’s mustache, the Justice League production has suffered more than its fair share of issues, including a director switch from Zack Snyder to Joss Whedon.

The Justice League Comic-Con 2017 trailer teased Superman’s return, while also giving heavy emphasis to Wonder Woman’s appearance and affording first glimpses of the film’s villain Steppenwolf. The new round of reshoots could include an attempt to further beef up Wonder Woman after her film’s massive box office success this summer, though Cavill’s participation seems to indicate that more (or at least different) Superman scenes are needed too.